A Paralegal’s Insight: Brex Bradley’s Approach To Helping Families

Brex: Early in my career, I clerked for a judge who had a domestic relations docket, and I found the issues fascinating. After my clerkship, I went into employment law, but family law was always on my mind. I wanted to be in a role where I could counsel clients directly and help them through difficult times in their lives.

Brex: Every case is different, every attorney is different. Some want you to draft everything from letters to decrees. But ALL attorneys get overwhelmed even when they aren’t aware of it. So I do my best to alleviate that. I try to knock out the “small things” and keep everything calendared so we don’t miss deadlines.

Caroline: Are there specific skills or approaches that you’ve found particularly useful when working with family law clients?

Brex: You definitely either learn to be empathetic or you become jaded. I think the skill of learning how to balance that is VITAL as a family law paralegal. I can’t take every single thing home with me, but I also have to have a heart for the clients and the children. So learning to balance emotions is the most useful skill I have in family law. You can be mentally drained if you don’t learn to separate.

Caroline: How do you ensure clients feel supported and informed about their case progress?

Brex: Modern Family Law has this beautiful system in place where we have weekly status meetings regarding their case. I don’t think clients understand how great this is. A weekly discussion is held regarding your case, we discuss strategy and goals. So, we always have some sort of update for the client, even if it’s “no update.”

Brex: Just listening to them, making them feel heard. A LOT of what we do on a personal level is just listening to the client. I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve had call, yelling and or in a fuss about something, and then they end up crying and telling me they appreciate all we do. They usually aren’t mad or upset at us. It’s usually their situation, and they just need to vent or be heard.

Caroline: How do you and the attorney coordinate to ensure the client receives seamless and efficient service?

Brex: Back to an answer earlier, we have weekly status meetings that are vital to saving you time and money and keeping our cases on track. So that helps, and then just general checking in with each other. I currently have six attorneys that I’m working with, and each one is pretty good about getting to me about what they are doing or what I need to be doing on a case.

Brex: We are down in the trenches with the client; we see the day-to-day struggle and issues. Modern Family Law has some very good attorneys who also see the day-to-day things, but I feel like often we (paralegals) are the first line of communication and the first line of defense for the client. We often have a more “personal” connection to the clients. Attorneys can be very connected to their clients as well, but they are pulled in so many directions that they don’t usually get the benefit of the closeness we have with clients.

Caroline: What are some of the typical tasks or responsibilities you handle that an attorney wouldn’t normally take on?

Brex: Typically, my tasks include managing the calendar, scheduling hearings, and coordinating telephone conferences with clients or opposing counsel. While these responsibilities may seem routine, they are essential for maintaining organization and ensuring cases progress smoothly and efficiently.

Caroline: Are there any misconceptions about the role of a paralegal that you’d like to clarify for clients?

Brex: We do a LOT for attorneys, but we are not attorneys. We did not go to law school, and we cannot and should not be giving you legal advice. We get very close to the line, and a good paralegal knows when she or he is going there. Just know that we are here to help you. I chose family law at the beginning of my legal career (almost 15 years ago), and I became board-certified in family law for a reason. I know what it’s like to be a child of divorce, and I’ve seen how it affects families, parents, and most importantly, children. We want the absolute best for you and your children.

Brex: When it’s something that doesn’t require legal advice or major legal strategy. I’m happy to talk to clients about why we are doing something, but I also don’t want to tell them one thing, and then it goes differently. The legal process can be so fickle; that even the slightest thing can upset your entire strategy.

Caroline: What kind of questions or concerns are best directed to you, and when is it more appropriate for the attorney to step in?

Brex: Again, an attorney must step in when a client is looking for legal advice. I cannot stress enough that paralegals cannot give legal advice. Neither can Google or your neighbor who got divorced and got 75% of everything. No, they didn’t. You hired an attorney, who spent a lot of money and a lot of time to do what they do. Trust them!